This application claims the priority of 199 63 640.00, filed Dec. 29, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a vehicle roof that is adjustable between a closed position and a folded position with a convertible top rod assembly and a canopy cover material, a cover material retainer that, in its closed position of the folding top rests on a rear component at the side of the car body and that introduces stretch in the canopy cover material through an adjustable kinematics that is lowerable into a stowing compartment, whereby the material retainer bracket at the link to the adjustable kinematic is pivot-mounted and during transport into the stowing compartment makes the movement of a pitch circle.
DE 41 23 516 C1 describes a vehicle roof that has a folding cover with an adjustable convertible top rod assembly in which a material covers the convertible top rod assembly, is stretched by a material retainer bracket in the closed position of the canopy, is a part of the convertible top rod assembly and is in the rear area of the convertible top rod assembly. The material retainer bracket stretches the material and brings about a smooth outer pane on account of which wind resistance and wind noise are reduced. In the closed position, the material retainer bracket rests on a cover which closes a stowing compartment in which the folding roof is stowed away in the folded position.
So that the folding canopy top can be transported to the folded position, it is necessary that the material retainer bracket first swivel up to make room for the opening movement of the canopy top stowing compartment cover. After the cover is opened, the stowing compartment can be accessed and the folding canopy top can be lowered into the stowing compartment.
During the lowering motion into the stowing compartment, the adjustable kinematics of the folding canopy must lie outside of the movement track of the convertible top rod assembly and the material cover to avoid collisions.
This requires smallish adjustment kinematics, which must, however, be sufficiently large in dimension at the same time in order to bring about the necessary force for the adjustment movements.
In order to keep the stowing area as small as possible, the canopy top must also have a compact folded volume. This places, in particular in relation to the material retainer bracket which moves in the opposite direction to the canopy top during the folding motion, high requirements with respect to the adjustable kinematics with a simultaneous folded volume that is as small as possible.
The seminal DE 198 27 796 A1 describes an adjustable vehicle roof which demonstrates an adjustable folding canopy top that is adjustable between a closed position and a folded position which indicates a canopy top material cover. In the closed position, the canopy top material cover of the folding roof is stretched by a material retainer bracket that rests on a car body component in the rear. The material retainer bracket hangs on a primary roof arch of the convertible top rod assembly and is swivel-mounted opposite of it. The main roof arch is maintained slewable at a console of the vehicle body so that, during the transport of the folding roof from closed position to folded position, the rest point of the material retainer bracket makes a pitch circle movement at the main roof arch in the direction of the stowing compartment.
In order to ensure that the material retainer bracket in the closed position has a sufficiently high stretch capacity that stretches the folding canopy top material cover without separating from the car body in the back, the material retainer bracket must be locked or must be secured with a control element with retention force. In any event, an additional component is required which must be operated in addition to the adjustment kinematics.
An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable vehicle roof with a compact folded volume.
This object has been achieved, in accordance with the invention, by providing that the adjustable linkage is a four-bar linkage with a strap down swivelling axle swivel-mounted, the retainer bracket is connected to a base plate and two articulated levers acting upon the base plate, and the two levers pass through a top dead center position during transport between the closed position and the folded position.
The present invention provides that at least one component of the convertible top rod assembly of the vehicle roof performs a pitch circular motion while being moved into the stowing compartment. The pitch circle motion offers, in contrast to a swivelling motion around a strap-down swivelling axle the advantage, that the rod component is swivelled along its entire length in the direction of the base of the stowing compartment and can be deposited on it to avoid unusable areas in the folded position in the stacking compartment.
Further, the pitch circle motion has the advantage that, during the lowering into the stowing compartment, the rod component makes a motion related to strap-down coordination system with mixed repeater and rotary sliding motion. Thereby the repeater component of the rod assembly component is first guided away from the neighboring wall section in the first segment of the slide-over motion, and in the second segment of the slide-over motion it again approaches the stowing wall. Consequently, an adjustment kinematic or linkage that is fixed in stationary position can be used to overlap settling or similar components during transporting to the folded position and to avoid collisions during the folding motion.
The component that makes the pitch circle motion is the material retainer bracket which is placed in the rear area of the convertible top rod assembly and which is, in the closed position, advantageously positioned on top of the canopy box cover of the stowing compartment. Because the material retainer bracket is usually that component which, in the closed position is that part of the convertible top rod assembly which extends furthest over the rear vehicle area, the transport into the stowing area via a pitch circle motion is advantageous and makes possible optimal use of space in the stowing compartment.
It could also be advantageous, if appropriate, to lower alternative or additional components to the material retainer bracket of the convertible top rod assembly into the stowing compartment on a pitch circle track. If necessary, the entire folding canopy top can make a pitch circle motion during the transporting from the closed position to the folded position.
The adjustment kinematic or linkage which imparts the pitch circle motion to the component is structured as a four-bar linkage and has a strap-down swivelling axle, swivel-mounted supporting plate on which the component to be pivoted is anchored, as well as two, articulated catching levers connected to the supporting plate, through which the motion is introduced. During transport from the closed position to the folded position, the two levers cross through a top dead center position to ensure that the rod component to be transported remains in a rest position in the closed position as well as in the folded position. In order to ensure that the adjustment kinematic or linkage can overcome the top dead center position, one of the levers is appropriately structured as a link motion lever, one end of which is carried in a special oblong hole link. As the top dead center position is passed the link motion lever can ride along the crank, whereby blocking can be avoided.
The two levers of the adjustment linkage or kinematic are advantageously connected with an adjustable hoop of the vehicle roof with the result that a motion of the vehicle roof causes an adjustment motion of the adjustment kinematic. Thereby, a kinematic coupling between the motion of the vehicle roof and the motion of the component on the circular track is achieved. A common actuator for the entire vehicle roof is sufficient, whereby the motion of the vehicle roof over the adjustment kinematic is transformed into the pitch-circular transporting motion.